A MOTORIST tried to pass off three speeding tickets she and her husband had got on people who lived abroad.

Elaine Westhead, of Back Rhoden Road, Oswaldtwistle, claimed that relatives as well as a friend from Belgium and Italy had been behind the wheel when their cars were were clocked speeding over the past three years.

But after the offences were uncovered by police, Westhead, 53, was brought before Burnley Crown Court on three counts of perverting the course of justice. She admitted the charges and was given a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years. Westhead must also carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

However neither Westhead nor her husband will not have to pay the speeding fines and will not get the points on their licences, the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety (LPFRS) said after the case.

But Linda Sanderson, from the LPFRS, said the punishment still sent out a strong message.

She said: "Elaine Westhead now knows in no uncertain terms that all foreign nominated drivers are thoroughly investigated.

"Excess speed is at least partly to blame for one in three deaths on Lancashire's roads and speed limits are in place to protect us.

"Those caught speeding will be prosecuted and may trigger investigations into previous offences."

The court was told that Westhead received a notice of intended prosecution after her car was recorded doing 38mph in a 30 zone in Burnley Road Altham in September last year.

She claimed her Italian ex-brother-in-law had been driving at the time. However, police discovered her husband had in fact been in control of the car. Westhead admitted the offence to police and said she had done it because her husband drove HGV wagons and already had six points on his licence.

Two further offences then came to light, the court was told.

Westhead herself had been driving at 43mph in a 30 limit on New Lane, Oswaldtwistle, in August 2004, but had said her sister, who lived in Italy, was responsible.

In December of that year, her husband was snapped in Blacksnape Road, Darwen, driving at 39mph in a 30mph limit. Westhead had nominated the driver as a male from Belgium without her husband's knowledge.